In every household, children were made to realize the importance of books and how education was incomplete without them. just to complete one essay, a student had to stalk through many books to get information, which by the way is not the most interesting task. Thanks to technology for saving us from this ‘not-so-interesting task.
Present-day, with the mind-boggling advancement in technology, students can sit at home and yet gain knowledge from around the world. The concept of ‘classroom will reach you’ has been made possible by the introduction of EdTech and the rise in student attention has been great ever since. Let us start from scratch and explore the EdTech industry in this article.
What is the EdTech industry?
Edtech, a hybrid of the phrase “education technology". It is the combination of IT tools and educational practices targeted at facilitating and boosting learning. The introduction of these IT tools into the classroom has led to a more engaging, wide-ranging, and personalized learning experience for the students.
Today’s classrooms have moved ahead of the heavy desktop computers that were once the norm to now tech-infused tablets, highly interactive online courses, and even robots. This invasion of EdTech tools has dramatically changed the typical classrooms in a variety of ways.
- EdTech robots are a great source in making the students stay engaged through exciting forms of learning.
- IoT devices are being saluted for their ability to create digital classrooms for students.
- Technology like machine learning and blockchain tools are supporting teachers with grading tests and holding students liable for timely homework submissions.
Parent-teacher conferencing
Long gone are those days when parent-teacher meetings used to happen in rush without many insights. But today with the tech on gain, AI-powered appointment scheduling software like Acuity Scheduling, Doodle, etc. allow both parents and teachers to meet at a convenient time and discuss their child’s progress.
Some of the applications that allow online parent-teacher conferences are as follows.
Remind
A free app that allows teachers to securely communicate text messages to parents and students regarding assignments and reminders. The app coordinates text messages by subject and allows teachers to send anything from daily announcements to reminders about approaching deadlines and upcoming projects.
Google For Education
This application is a lot like Google +, except it is for the classroom. Google For Education allows students to see all their classes in one place, find assignment and deadlines, download files, and reach out to teachers if required and gives parents the privilege to see everything and be equally involved
VolunteerSpot
Is an application that assists in organizing group meetings, e-mails, and parent-teacher conferences. This app further allows organizing parent chaperones or school volunteers for various events, field trips, etc.
Robotic student assistants
Classrooms are up to date with AI-powered tactile robots for students that not only help with reading, learning a language, and social interactions but also helps in fostering vital social skills for children with disabilities.
Robots can be very useful in bringing students into the classroom who otherwise might not be able to attend. They make the concept of 'bring school to students’ who cannot be present physically.
Broken stereotypes with EdTech
Personalized learning
The books are no doubt an ocean of knowledge, but they are not specific and personalized. Many in the ed-tech field see new technologies as powerful tools to assist schools to meet the needs of diverse student populations. Digital devices, software, and learning platforms offer an unimaginable array of options for tailoring education to each student’s academic strengths and weaknesses, interests and impulses, personal preferences, and ideal pace of learning.
Learning management systems, student information systems, and other software comes in handy in distributing assignments, manage schedules and communications, and tracking the overall student progress, thus, ensuring a hundred percent personalized growth and learning for the students.
1-to-1 Computing
Books hold a generalized tactic and do not fulfill the criteria of a focused approach. Therefore, these days which the assistance of technology schools are increasingly progressing to offer students their laptop computer, netbook, or digital tablet. Schools have invested heavily in making the classrooms as digitized as possible, thus, ensuring proper attention and growth that the student requires.
Blended Learning
Blended learning combines traditional, teacher-to-student lessons with technology-based instruction. Many schools have begun to use a “rotation” model, which is often viewed as an efficient means of providing students with more personalized instruction and smaller group experiences.
Conclusion
Nothing can replace the essence that a book provides in education, but one cannot stay restricted to just the. One has to evolve and look at brighter and better options and technology has made this direction flourishing with the best of facilities.
